


Partners

by Bluewolf458



Series: Escape [5]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 21:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14222586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: Jim tells Blair about his senses





	Partners

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Sentinel Bingo prompt 'tall tale'

Partners

by Bluewolf

"That wasn't a very good area to live in," Jim said as they drove away from Blair's burning apartment.

Blair sighed. "That's why I kept most of my things at Rainier," he said.

"You said you're a lecturer there? You have to know you don't look nearly old enough - !"

"The story of my life," Blair muttered. "I actually started at Rainier when I was sixteen, had a PhD by the time I was twenty-two. I don't say I cheated, exactly, but I had an overwhelming interest in a particular subject, thanks to an old book I found, and started working on a dissertation when I was seventeen, basing it on things I found in that book. So after I got my Masters, I already had a PhD diss in rough draft. All I basically had to do was polish it. Rainier gave me a position as lecturer.

"Then about three years ago, my head of department got the opportunity to spend two years in Borneo studying the handful of indigenous hunter-gatherers left there. He took me along as an assistant, as well as two grad students who wanted first hand info for their dissertations. It was interesting, and we're still writing up our findings.

"But knowing I was to be away for two years, I gave up my apartment here, put all my stuff into storage, and when I came home looked for another apartment - but all I could find was the one that's just burned down or ones in even worse areas. When the university year ends I should be able to find somewhere in a decent area as final year students move back to their home cities, but for the moment... I'll probably have to settle for a cheap motel."

Jim slowed, stopped, checked that everything was clear and packed into a space. Blair followed him into the building, up two flights of stairs and along a short corridor to the door that he unlocked. Jim led him to a small curtained doorway. It led into a small room with a bed, bedside cabinet and a chair. Blair dropped his backpack and Jim pointed him in the direction of a nearly door. "Bathroom."

Blair nodded his thanks.

"Coffee?" Jim asked.

"No, thanks - but if you have any Tylenol - ?"

Jim gave him a couple and a glass of juice.

"Thanks." He swallowed them, went to the bathroom, then headed for the bedroom, saying, "Good night." He went in, undressed and crawled into bed. He was asleep within seconds.

***

When he woke, Blair was happy to feel pretty well back to normal. He headed for the bathroom again, had a quick wash, pulled on his clothes from the previous day - he could change once he got to Rainier and joined Jim, who was just serving up two plates of scrambled egg.

"I'm not much of a cook," Jim said, "but I can cope with eggs."

As they ate, he said, "What was your dissertation about?"

"Sentinels," Blair said.

"What are they? Guards?"

"Jungle tribes called them watchmen or guardians. It was the nineteenth century writer of the book I found who called them sentinels. Basically, they had heightened senses - could see further, hear further than anyone else, sense changes in the weather long before - " He broke off seeing something in Jim's face. "You know what I'm talking about."

"When I was a child - I could see things very acutely, hear the softest of noises. But when I tried to tell him what I was seeing or hearing, my father called them tall tales, told me to stop lying... punished me any time I spoke about them... Eventually they went away. But when I was twenty-two I found an old diary written by my father's brother and he spoke of seeing and hearing really well... "

"So heightened senses ran in your father's family?"

"I don't know further back than my uncle... but I don't have them now."

"Yes, you do; you just have to work out how to access them. Okay, you'd have to keep quiet about them - I can imagine how criminals would react if they knew - but they would be so much help to you in your work! Let me think... " He ate in silence for a minute, then said, "According to Burton - the guy who wrote the book I found - solitary time in the wild honed the senses. Maybe what you need to do is have a camping vacation away from a camp site, on your own, for a few days."

"You think?"

"It could be worth trying."

***

So he tried it, having told Blair where he was going and arranging that Blair should check on him if he didn't arrive home again the day he was due - Blair having warned him of the zone-out factor. And it worked.

By the fifth day he was again seeing more colors in a sunset, hearing soft sounds he hadn't been aware of when he arrived at his camp site...

When he arrived home, Blair had some notes for him to read about his need for a companion; he read them and looked at Blair.

"You?" he asked

"I'd love to," Blair replied.

"Have you found an apartment yet?"

Blair shook his head. "I've made getting info for you my priority."

"Stay here, then?"

"You don't mind?"

"If I did I wouldn't have offered."

"I'll have a word with Eli - my department head. If I can get a ride-along, and work towards another PhD... I could be totally at your service for a year...  "

Jim was silent for a moment. Then he said softly, "I'm grateful."

"I wish your uncle had met someone who could have helped him."

"Indirectly, his diary led me to you. I think he would have been happy to know that."

They smiled, and their hands met in a friendly clasp. "Partner," Jim said.

"Partner," Blair agreed.


End file.
